Sanitary Face  Mask for Food Servers

ABSTRACT

A sanitary face mask for food servers secures to the user&#39;s ears and chin, and provides a frame which fits along the user&#39;s jawline. The lower edge of a transparent shield is secured to the frame along its entire length. The shield covers the lower half of the user&#39;s face, including the mouth and nostrils, but a significant gap is provided between the upper edge of the shield and the user&#39;s face, enabling the free passage of air for breathing. The shield effectively prevents the airborne transmission of disease pathogens between the user and other persons.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/106,707, filed Jan. 22, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to food service equipment and in particular to a sanitary face mask for food servers. The recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in Texas has sharpened public awareness of the risk of communicable diseases. While the actual risk of contracting Ebola in the United States is virtually zero, hundreds of thousands of people catch more mundane viruses every day, such as various strains of common cold and flu viruses. Since wages in the food service industry are low, and few restaurants offer paid time off for illness, food service workers are perhaps the most likely to continue working when they are sick. This combination of factors means that the risk of catching a cold or the flu from a food service worker is higher than many customers will accept. Other food service workers are also placed at risk of infection. However, the use of conventional face masks creates a forbidding appearance in the food service setting. A sanitary face mask for food servers, providing a transparent shield over the lower half of the face and enabling customers to see the food server's entire face, would resolve this problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention is directed to a sanitary face mask for food servers. The mask is secured to the user's ears and chin, and provides a frame which fits along the user's jawline. The lower edge of a transparent shield is secured to the frame along its entire length. The shield covers the lower half of the user's face, including the mouth and nostrils, but a significant gap is provided between the upper edge of the shield and the user's face, enabling the free passage of air for breathing. The shield effectively prevents the airborne transmission of disease pathogens between the user and other persons.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the first exemplary embodiment in a disassembled state, displaying the frame 10, the tethers 11, the chin support 12, the tab 12A, and the shield 13.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the first exemplary embodiment as worn by the user, displaying the frame 10, the tethers 11, the chin support 12, and the shield 13.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the first exemplary embodiment in a disassembled state, displaying the frame 10, the frame bottom 10A, the tethers 11, the chin support 12, the tab 12A, and the support slot 14.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the first exemplary embodiment in a disassembled state, displaying the frame 10, the frame top 10B, the tethers 11, the shield 13, the shield bottom edge 13A, and the shield slot 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a sanitary face mask for food servers.

It is to be understood that while the invention is intended for use by food servers, this is not intended as a limitation.

The first exemplary embodiment is comprised of a sanitary face mask, which provides a frame 10 which preferably rests along the jawline of the user. Soft fabric tethers 11 are provided on each end of the frame 10 and may be comfortably tied around the user's ears. A detachable chin support 12 secures the frame 10 in position, and is affixed to the frame 10 with a tab 12A, which snaps into a corresponding support slot 14 in the bottom 10A of the frame 10. A transparent shield 13, having a bottom edge 13A, snaps into position along the entire top 10B of the frame 10 within a corresponding shield slot 15.

The lower edge 13A of the shield 13 is secured to the top 10B of the frame 10 along its entire length. The shield 10 covers the lower half of the user's face, including the mouth and nostrils, but a significant gap is provided between the upper edge 13B of the shield 10 and the user's face, enabling the free passage of air for breathing.

The shield 10 effectively prevents the airborne transmission of cold and flu viruses and other disease pathogens between the user and other persons. Preferably, the shield 13 is disposable, while all other components are intended to be used a few times and discarded.

To use the first exemplary embodiment, the user affixes the chin support 12 and the shield 13 to the frame 10, places the mask on the face such that the chin support 12 frames the user's chin, and ties the tethers 11 to the ears.

The frame 10 and the chin support 12 are preferably manufactured from a semi-rigid, durable material such as high-impact plastic or wood. The tethers 11 are preferably manufactured from a flexible, durable fabric which is comfortable when in extended contact with skin, such as cotton or a cotton-rayon blend. The shield 13 is preferably manufactured from a semi-rigid, disposable material which is transparent, such as transparent plastic or acetate.

Components, component sizes, and materials listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components and materials could be selected without altering the scope of the invention.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. A sanitary face mask comprised of a frame having two ends, a top, and a bottom; soft fabric tethers attached to each end of the frame; a chin support on the bottom of said frame; and a shield on the top of the frame.
 2. The sanitary face mask of claim 1, wherein said chin support is detachable.
 3. The sanitary face mask of claim 1, wherein said chin support is permanently affixed to the frame.
 4. The sanitary face mask of claim 2, wherein the chin support is affixed to the frame with a tab; the tab snapping into a chin support slot in the bottom of the frame.
 5. The sanitary face mask of claim 1, wherein said shield is transparent and detachable.
 6. The sanitary face mask of claim 1, wherein a lower edge of the shield is affixed to the upper edge of the frame.
 7. The sanitary face mask of claim 5, wherein a lower edge of the shield is affixed to the upper edge of the frame.
 8. The sanitary face mask of claim 1, wherein said lower edge of the shield and said frame are the same length, such that said shield is secured to said frame along its entire length.
 9. The sanitary face mask of claim 5, wherein said lower edge of the shield and said frame are the same length, such that said shield is secured to said frame along its entire length.
 10. The sanitary face mask of claim 7, wherein said lower edge of the shield and said frame are the same length, such that said shield is secured to said frame along its entire length.
 11. The sanitary face mask of claim 1, wherein the shield is configured and sized appropriately to cover the lower half of a user's face, including the mouth and nostrils.
 12. The sanitary face mask of claim 11, wherein said shield is angled to leave a gap between the upper edge of the shield and the user's face, enabling the free passage of air for breathing.
 13. The sanitary face mask of claim 5, wherein the shield is configured and sized appropriately to cover the lower half of a user's face, including the mouth and nostrils.
 14. The sanitary face mask of claim 13, wherein said shield is angled to leave a gap between the upper edge of the shield and the user's face, enabling the free passage of air for breathing.
 15. The sanitary face mask of claim 7, wherein the shield is configured and sized appropriately to cover the lower half of a user's face, including the mouth and nostrils.
 16. The sanitary face mask of claim 15, wherein said shield is angled to leave a gap between the upper edge of the shield and the user's face, enabling the free passage of air for breathing.
 17. The sanitary face mask of claim 9, wherein the shield is configured and sized appropriately to cover the lower half of a user's face, including the mouth and nostrils.
 18. The sanitary face mask of claim 17, wherein said shield is angled to leave a gap between the upper edge of the shield and the user's face, enabling the free passage of air for breathing.
 19. The sanitary face mask of claim 10, wherein the shield is configured and sized appropriately to cover the lower half of a user's face, including the mouth and nostrils.
 20. The sanitary face mask of claim 19, wherein said shield is angled to leave a gap between the upper edge of the shield and the user's face, enabling the free passage of air for breathing. 